Wow, I've gotten really bad at this blog thing. I haven't posted since June, and that was a post about Mexico that was four months late!
C'est la vie.
Our neighbors Molly and Brendon go camping at Acadia National Park every Labor Day. We used to avoid traveling on holiday weekends because the Boston exodus and re-entry traffic are legendary. But last year they made it sound so attractive that we gave it a try, and loved it. We signed up again this year.
At almost the last minute, Audrey asked if her best friend Mia could join us for the trip. Carol and I thought about it for about five minutes and said, "Sure!" Mia is like our third daughter; she spends a lot of weekends at our house. I asked her during the trip whether she is a guest or a member of the family. She and everyone else agreed: the latter. She's always a pleasure to have with us, and Audrey enjoyed having a friend along.
We decided to borrow a tent and drive the new hybrid minivan this year, figuring it would be more comfortable than Ruby for the 5-hour drive - especially if it was hot. It would also allow us to drive seven people around while there without converting Ruby from apartment to vehicle every day. We all enjoyed sleeping in a tent for a change, but I think we all like the van better. For one thing, it's better at blocking out the sounds of other campers so we sleep better and later in the van.
Visiting Acadia is a wonderful mix. The National Park takes up maybe 1/3 of Mount Desert Island and the rest is quaint seaside towns including the most famous, Bar Harbor. So one can hike and bike and explore the park but still easily go into town for ice cream or meals out.
Our favorite discovery this year is the Rexall drug store with soda fountain! We had seen the store before but didn't know it had the counter. They found all the old accoutrements like the tall glass straw dispenser, and they make soft drinks like a real soda fountain by mixing syrup with carbonated water. Even Coca-cola. They have a classic lunch counter menu featuring grilled cheese, egg salad, ham salad, BLT, etc. Delicious. And cheap! Unfortunately also closed on Sundays.
The third family in our group was Kerry and Sean, who are quite the camping foodies. Kerry made a huge, gorgeous paella the first night and made fancy food on a campfire for pretty much every meal. It was fun to watch.
We all did a few hikes. Charlotte hiked to Great Head with everyone else (and Kerry and Sean's dog Barley) while Carol and Audrey and Mia and I hiked The Beehive - a short, steep hike featuring iron rungs and ladders to climb the cliffs and ledges. Slightly scary and very fun. The next day Carol and I and all the kids (including our neighbor Anna) hiked up Cadillac Mountain to the highest point on the island.
On the way home we got to participate in the legendary traffic, taking 70 minutes to travel maybe 14 miles from Maine, through New Hampshire and into Massachusetts. But the new minivan has adaptive cruise control that works all the way to a complete stop. I didn't have to touch the gas or brakes that entire time, except to tap the gas to say "move" only after coming to a complete stop. It makes bumper to bumper traffic much more tolerable.
Oh, and the weather was ideal. Lows in the high 50s at night and highs near 70 during the day, with no rain.
I suspect we'll do it again next year!